Pleased with Drake Maye's play in practice, Jerod Mayo says Patriots won't sign another veteran quarterback
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots want to take things slow with Drake Maye, letting the rookie quarterback develop on the sideline behind veteran Jacoby Brissett. But given the beating that Brissett has taken over the first three weeks of the season, some have championed for New England to sign another veteran QB to take over in case Brissett goes down with an injury.
Head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that won't be happening.
"That's not in our plans at this current time," Mayo replied when asked if the team was considering signing another quarterback.
Brissett has thrown for just 368 yards and one touchdown, as the Patriots offense ranks 31st in the NFL at just 13 points per game. He's been sacked nine times over the first three weeks behind an extremely questionable New England offensive line, which hasn't given him much time to operate on passing plays.
While the Patriots may not want to start Maye behind that line, they wouldn't have any choice if Brissett gets hurt. Mayo said Wednesday that the rookie has looked comfortable enough in practice that the team doesn't feel the need to sign another veteran passer.
"He's looked good in practice, but once again, it's just practice. You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field, but at this current time, we're just not looking to add any pieces at that spot," he said.
Maye got his first taste of NFL action last Thursday night when he took the field for New England's final drive against the New York Jets. He made some rookie mistakes -- his first-ever NFL pass was nearly picked off -- and took some big hits, but he was able to get the Patriots into the red zone.
Mayo said Wednesday that Maye is continuing to get 30 percent of the team's reps with the No. 1 offense in practice, and praised the rookie's work on the scout team in practice.
"Drake is getting a ton of reps on the show team. He's approached that process the right way," said Mayo. "He doesn't want to know what the defense is doing and doesn't want to know the coverage. He's going out there and going through the his reads. He's done a good job staying locked in and preparing as if he was the starter."
Mayo's confidence in the rookie is noteworthy. It doesn't necessarily mean a change is coming anytime soon, but is a good indication that Maye is on track and making progress within New England's plan for the quarterback.
Brissett isn't bothered by all this Maye talk, and continues to say he'll "just keep getting up" from all those QB hits. He also expressed some confidence Wednesday that the New England line will turn things around.
"It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's coming. It's about going out there, keep battling, put your best foot forward, and trust in the process that when it clicks, it clicks," he said. "The plays are going to come. They're going to settle in. It's week-to-week each week, and if we put our best foot forward, we'll be alright."
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